Shakespeare uses the closing scene to further solidify his point that tyranny is an endless cycle which poisons men of noble intention. First, Caesar rules Rome with an iron, arrogant fist. He hints at his noble intentions by speaking of courage over cowardliness, yet ultimately is consumed by arrogance in his power. Next, Brutus takes his turn. He kills Caesar believing he is helping Rome by removing a manipulative tyrant; although ironically, Brutus is manipulated into doing so himself, and then proceeds to give a manipulative speech which attempts to mold the people of Rome to his side. In the last scene, the tyrant baton is passed to Antony and Octavius. After Brutus commits suicide, they immediately change their stance on him. No longer is Antony against Brutus; Antony now claims Brutus "was the noblest Roman of them all" (5. 5. 2762). He molds any events to his own advantage, such as the death of Brutus to win over the Roman people from Octavius. Octavius also praises Brutus in an attempt to pander to the Roman people. Both these false eulogies ironically mirror the two speeches after Caesar's death. In both, two men with the potential to rule rome pretend to honor Rome's fallen heros in an attempt to fill a power vacuum. By praising a man whom they claim to have held the goodwill of rome in high regard, they aim to manipulatively portray themselves in the same manner. No matter the original noble intentions of Antony, Octavius, and even originally Brutus, arrogance and power blinded them all and they descended to tyranny, just like Caesar in the play's beginning. Power corrupts men and always will.
Shakespeare uses the closing scene to further solidify his point that tyranny is an endless cycle which poisons men of noble intention. First, Caesar rules Rome with an iron, arrogant fist. He hints at his noble intentions by speaking of courage over cowardliness, yet ultimately is consumed by arrogance in his power. Next, Brutus takes his turn. He kills Caesar believing he is helping Rome by removing a manipulative tyrant; although ironically, Brutus is manipulated into doing so himself, and then proceeds to give a manipulative speech which attempts to mold the people of Rome to his side. In the last scene, the tyrant baton is passed to Antony and Octavius. After Brutus commits suicide, they immediately change their stance on him. No longer is Antony against Brutus; Antony now claims Brutus "was the noblest Roman of them all" (5. 5. 2762). He molds any events to his own advantage, such as the death of Brutus to win over the Roman people from Octavius. Octavius also praises Brutus in an attempt to pander to the Roman people. Both these false eulogies ironically mirror the two speeches after Caesar's death. In both, two men with the potential to rule rome pretend to honor Rome's fallen heros in an attempt to fill a power vacuum. By praising a man whom they claim to have held the goodwill of rome in high regard, they aim to manipulatively portray themselves in the same manner. No matter the original noble intentions of Antony, Octavius, and even originally Brutus, arrogance and power blinded them all and they descended to tyranny, just like Caesar in the play's beginning. Power corrupts men and always will.